I hope that Daddy will feel remorse and come back. I hope that Mom will come save me. I hope that Jordan realizes that something is wrong before arriving with vengeance in his eyes.
But I know that a mere two hundred feet away, Jordan sits in his house completely unaware of my heinous circumstances. He has no idea what’s going on, and probably thinks I’m just gathering a few things before returning to his place. How I wish I could!
Exhausted, I limp over to the guest bed and collapse in defeat. My feet throb, my fists are raw, and my throat feels like dry sandpaper. I lie on the mattress and break down into heavy sobs. What’s going to happen? I’m scared, broken, and confused because my parents have made me their prisoner. Yet, I have a baby growing inside me too. What’s going to become of my child?
8
Misty
It feels like I’ve been lying on this bed for days. Without windows it’s impossible to tell the passage of time. I’m sure night has come and gone, but I’m too frightened to sleep because after realizing the hopelessness of my situation, I spent the rest of this horrid imprisonment curled in a ball, trembling and afraid. I can’t believe this is happening.
Suddenly, the door swings open.
Finally, my parents have come back to their senses.
“Misty, get up. It’s time to go,” my dad commands.
I sit up, dazed.
“Time to go? Time to go where? I don’t even know what time of day it is because my parents LOCKED ME IN THE BASEMENT! This is crazy! What’s going on?” I shriek frantically.
Fear has taken me over and I’m unconsciously scooching my way backwards to the far corner of the bed, creating a slightly larger gap between my parents and myself.
A dash of empathy flickers across Mom’s face, and she looks ashamed for a moment. But then the expression passes, and she tries to console me by answering my questions.
“It’s 4 a.m. and you’re going to stay with family until this is over and can be put behind you,” she says lightly, as if not touched at all by the ridiculousness of what she is saying.
“Behind me?” I shriek. “What do you mean? You do realize a baby will follow this pregnancy, don’t you?”
“Yes, but the baby will not follow you,” my dad replies sharply. He waves at the door, and two of his bodyguards enter. They look like faceless goons from a movie because Asgar and Hazi always dress the same. They wear black suits with black shirts, and even though the clothes are nice, they somehow still always look disheveled. Asgar is a big and grimy man sporting a large purple scar running down the bridge of his oversized nose. He’s clearly the muscle of the two, while Hazi is a short and dopey looking guy. When he started, I couldn’t understand why Daddy hired him as a bodyguard. But soon it became clear because what Hazi lacks in muscle, he makes up for in sheer insanity. They’re a scary duo and I’ve avoided them as much as possible over the years.
My dad’s henchmen stand in the corner of the room with their arms crossed before their chests. Asgar looks rather bored, as if he’s done this all before. Hazi, on the other hand, looks like a bulldog on a leash. He’s brimming with sinister excitement, forcibly containing himself. I can see the tension rising in him as he waits to be let loose.
“What on Earth are they doing here?!” I’m now on my feet behind the bed. My heart is racing so fast I worry it will affect the fetus.
“They’re here to ensure you comply,” my dad says flatly.
“Comply? Comply with what? I’m your daughter, not a business deal! Stop it, stop it right this instant. This is crazy!” I cup my hand over my mouth as I begin to sob.
“It’ll be a lot easier if you just cooperate, Misty,” Mom says, as if she’s asking me to attend a boring luncheon.
“What are you even talking about? This is so insane! What is wrong with you?”
My parents share a look.
“You’re just a child yourself, Misty,” Mom utters blankly. “You don’t know what motherhood entails.”
“But I can do it!” I scream. “This baby has a father, and I haven’t even gotten a chance to tell him yet! We can make it work.”
But it’s too late. Dad nods to the goons. Hazi is all too eager to take action and once he’s given the go-ahead, he shows his true self. Unfortunately, it’s a self filled with vindictive darkness and a sneer covers his face as he literally bares his teeth.
They approach me from either side of the bed. I’m screaming bloody murder in one last act of desperation to alert Jordan that I’m in serious trouble. But it’s no use. We’re in the lower level of the house where Jordan can’t possibly hear, and there’s clearly no stopping these thugs once they’ve been set into motion. Quickly, Asgar grabs my hands, restraining me, and then shoves a gag in my mouth. Then, they proceed to tie my hands and feet together.